NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- Every night, with the subway shut down for cleaning during the coronavirus pandemic, hundreds of homeless New Yorkers are herded out of the subways.

It is the first time in history the entire system is shut down, with train halted between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m.

Homeless advocates are providing services to the people being moved off the trains at 29 terminus stations, including the Stillwell Avenue station in Coney Island, where the homeless were offered shelter by teams of outreach workers.

But many refused, demanding to board shuttle buses so they could spend the night riding with the essential workers the system is intended to transport.

Bus operators tell Eyewitness News that the process is chaotic and unnerving.

"When the police kick out 200 homeless people that have no place to go and just walk out and get on buses, that's not a plan," TWU bus operator Lou Marreo said.

"The buses, the subways for essential workers, this is an emergency," he said. "People who need help should get help, so I am certain that we can work with the MTA to address that issue and keep maximizing the offer of help."

TWU Vice President J.P. Patafio said steps will be taken to keep people safe.

"We're going to make sure that the homeless problem doesn't become a bus operators' problem, and we will stop service if we have to," he said.

Marrero said the homeless people pose a risk to essential workers.

"Out of the 200 people that was here, there was one young guy, and I asked him, 'Where are you going?'" he said. "He goes, 'I work at FedEx in Maspeth.' I gave him three masks to get on the bus with all those homeless people."

MTA officials admit it's a work in progress.

"We want to make sure that our essential workers get to where they're supposed to be, as we promised," MTA Chief Safety Officer Patrick Warren said. "And we want to make sure that we continue to support the outreach efforts of the city."